Chubby Checker is FINALLY being inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. So is Joe Cocker. (How could they NOT after the massive celebrity campaign to finally recognize this great talent.)
That being said, how could they completely ignore the overwhelming fan vote for Phish and NOT make them part of The Class of 2025? (Don't get me wrong ... I'm not a Phish fan ... and couldn't sing you one line of ANY song they ever recorded ... but this just proves again that the fan vote may be nothing more than a wasted exercise if the committee can still choose to completely ignore their findings ... and with over two and a half million votes cast, I have to believe this is an audience that deserves to be recognized and listened to, regardless of how they vote. Why offer the voting option if it doesn't count for anything?)
[Actually, it DOES count for something ... the equivalent of ONE vote for a voting committee member, no matter how many votes an artist actually receives ... or by what margin they have been selected by the fans. Still, this renders the whole procedure meaningless ... The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has NEVER cared what the fans think ... and they have made that abundantly clear over the years.]
Also going in this year are Bad Company (probably more so for their collective line-up than for any particular piece of work they ever recorded), Cyndi Lauper (proving they're inducting novelty acts now ... maybe David Seville has a chance after all!), Soundgarden (I must have been absent the day they revolutionized the advancement of rock and roll music ... this is another act whose catalog is a complete mystery to me), The White Stripes and Outkast. (Mariah Carey has been overlooked again ... and while most will argue she's not rock, there is no denying the impact that she had on the music scene over the years ... probably more so than any other artist on this list other than Chubby Checker!) Billy Idol was also a major snub ... he finished second in the fan poll and is a legitimate rock and roller if there ever was one.
Additional nods are being given to Warren Zevon, long a cult favorite for induction, Salt-N-Pepa (for musical influence), studio whiz kids Carol Kaye (amazing bass player of - don't say it! - The Wrecking Crew) and Nicky Hopkins, who played with every name act on the planet back in the '70's and '80's. Thom Bell, one of the originators of the Philly Soul Sound is also finally being recognized as is Warner Brothers Records Exec Lenny Waronker, in the non-performer category.
The induction ceremony will take place November 8th and stream live on Disney+ just as it did last year. An edited version will air on ABC at a later date. (kk)
From ABKCO Records (who own the rights to all of Chubby Checker's Cameo/Parkway material):
Chubby Checker’s recording career has been marked by many successes beyond “The Twist,” epochal though it has been. His first foray into the studio came at the tail end of the 1950s when Philadelphia’s Cameo-Parkway Records released “The Class,” a single that broke into the Top 40 and featured Chubby’s vocal impressions of numerous hit artists of the period including Fats Domino, The Coasters, Elvis Presley and The Chipmunks. Following the success of “The Twist,” Checker’s focus was dance songs, the most successful of which were “Pony Time,” “The Fly,” “Limbo Rock,” “Slow Twistin’,” “Popeye (The Hitchhiker)” and, of course, “Let’s Twist Again.” Later recordings of his found resonance with the UK’s Northern Soul movement with collectors seeking out rare singles of his including “You Just Don’t Know (What You Do To Me).” That track is included in You Got The Power, a recent ABKCO album release.
Chubby Checker remains active as a touring artist, having just completed a run of US and Canadian dates last month and is slated to headline StarVista’s 2025 Malt Shop Cruise as he did last year. Thinking aerobically, he discussed his impact of his dance hits when “The Twist” was (literally) singled out by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the institution’s Hall of Fame Singles category a few years ago, “These dances, in their original form, were very strenuous because of the fast beat of the music. Girls were sweating, ruining their hairdos, killing their make-up and so were the boys in their suits and ties. We realized that ‘The Twist,’ ‘The Pony,’ ‘The Fly’ and ‘The Shake’ were better than working out in the gym and, because of that, a new industry was born.”
ABKCO Records collected Chubby Checker’s biggest hits on Dancin’ Party: The Chubby Checker Collection (1960-1966).
Stream and listen: https://chubbychecker.lnk.to/dplpPR
This year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees have just been announced with Chubby Checker leading the pack along with Joe Cocker, Bad Company, Thom Bell, Nicky Hopkins, Carol Kaye, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Salt-N-Pepa, Soundgarden, Lenny Waronker, The White Stripes and Warren Zevon comprising the Rock Hall’s Class of 2025. Checker, born Ernest Evans on October 3, 1941, will be just shy or will have just celebrated his 84th birthday when the induction takes place in Los Angeles this fall.
While he has been eligible for induction since the Hall of Fame’s 1986 inception, Checker was only included on the ballot as an official nominee this year. The legendary hitmaker and dance music pioneer has had 16 Top 20 singles on the Billboard charts, of which eight went Top 10. He’s also had eight Top 10 R&B singles and fifteen Top 20 R&B singles. These, of course, include “The Twist,” a recording that catalyzed a massive cultural shift, the reverberations from which are still felt seven decades later. “The Twist,” in fact, reached #1 on two different occasions: first in August of 1960 and again 15 months later when it underwent an unprecedented resurgence that saw it yet again rise to the top. It was the first time a pop record had occupied the #1 slot in two different run-ups, a feat unequaled to this day. When Billboard compiled its list of “All-Time Hot 100 Top Songs” in the first 50 years of the Hot 100 Chart, “The Twist” by Chubby Checker was, yet again, #1. The record was added to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress, and it was inducted into The Recording Academy’s Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000. Chubby Checker is a recipient of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation’s Pioneer Award.
ABKCO Records, steward of the Cameo-Parkway catalog, created a new music video for “The Twist” on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of its initial release:
Back in 2007 when we first analyzed the practices of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, its Nominating Committee as well as it Voting Committee, we began a big push for Chubby’s induction. (There was a campaign going at the time to induct Pat Boone … in fact, a petition with over 10,000 signatures on it was circulated and ignored by The Rock Hall.)
We contacted Chubby thru his management group and were essentially told to stand down … “Don’t worry about The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame … it will take care of itself” … a surprising comment from someone PAID to promote their artist by all means possible … but I see now that they were right … Chubby has FINALLY been recognized … it just took them eighteen more years to do so. (kk)
Meanwhile, Billy Idol has a brand new album coming out with Avril Lavinge ...
Here's a fun promotional clip he just released ...
(Hope he keeps his sense of humor after being snubbed by The Rock Hall this weekend!) kk
JOE COCKER ROCKS THE HALL OF FAME
Joe Cocker had a career filled with surprises. He was the surprise hit of the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969, and it made him a star. Cocker was the one who was the most surprised when John Belushi parodied his spastic singing style on Saturday Night Live in 1976. And most people were surprised to learn that Joe was not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, while several non-rockers were already inducted.
Well, all that changed this week when Cocker’s name was finally added to the 2025 list of inductees. According to Mark Bego, the author of the book "Joe Cocker: With a LOT of Help From His Friends," “Surprise: Cocker’s back!”
DIS
Let it go already!
After Pete Townshend stepped in to save face on behalf of The Who, reinstating Zak Starkey as their drummer, Roger Daltrey (who's now out on the road in a solo tour) still doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut.
Daltrey is now telling his audience (anyone who will listen anyway) that he was a victim of fake news ... that none of this ever happened ... and there isn't anybody else authorized to speak on behalf of the band ... they speak for themselves. (Right ... that's why Pete had to step in and save your ass!)
Move on, Roger ... the band is safe (and you're out doing your own thing right now anyway) ... so who cares?!?! (Man, I remember the good old days when Roger and Keith Moon just used to get into fisticuffs instead in an effort to let their points be known ... or perhaps as a means of knocking some sense into one another!) kk
CBS Sunday Morning did a GREAT profile of Herb Alpert and his current tour, reviving The Tijuana Brass ... and all of this at the ripe young age of 90!
Tom Cuddy sent us this link (which we then received from three other readers the very next day!) This is a GREAT clip!
https://youtu.be/Pf_WHvsPF3c?si=e1YG2uny45nLCT4p
Tom also sent us this new link profiling a new Bobby Darin Broadway stage show (from the same source):
https://youtu.be/B0E4xDsMdmA?si=KAlcy5rV-HKDhfc8
Honestly, I wasn't very impressed by what I saw. I guess this is Jonathon Groff's baby all the way ... but, as talented as he is, I just don't "feel" Bobby Darin when I watch these clips ... there's nothing here to compel me to go out and see it. (Darin's son Dodd is interviewed on this clip ... and there is an additional 23 minute interview also available if you let the YouTube link play out.)
I asked Bobby Darin's OTHER son Sam Tallerico what HE thought about all of this. (Turns out he has already seen the Broadway Musical.) Despite DNA testing confirming that Bobby is Sam's father, he has not been recognized as such by Darin's family because he was born after a one-nighter with one of Bobby's fans ... odds are Darin never even knew Sammy Boy existed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBWU_Fesow4
The Rolling Stones will have a new track on the Clifton Chenier Tribute Album “Tribute To The King Of Zydeco,” due to be released on June 27th in celebration of Chenier’s 100th birthday.
The song, "Zydeco Sont Pas Sales," is a song with Creole French lyrics popularized by zydeco pioneer Chenier of Opelousas, Louisiana, many years ago.
According to Mick Jagger, "Clifton was a great influence on me. We first listened to him around 1965 when we went to the States and picked up his records on the Arhoolie label.”
This will be their first release of new material since the mega-successful “Hackney Diamonds” LP two years ago. (kk)
Speaking of new releases, Frank B tells us that Freddy Cannon has recorded a new track called “Everybody’s Rockin’ Tonight” … and that Cousin Brucie played it on his program Saturday Night on WABC. (kk)
Tom Cuddy tells us about the superstar line-up on hand for this year's American Music Honors Ceremony ...
But it seems that a LOT of the discussion seemed to center on the fact that Bruce Springsteen has never had a #1 Song!!! (lol)
Truth be told, while "Dancing In The Dark" only peaked at #2 in Billboard, it DID top both the Cash Box and the Radio And Records charts ... and that's a #1 Hit in our book, too! (kk)
And our FH Buddy James Holvay has a new single coming out in Great Britain!
Hi Kent:
I hope all is well with you and yours.
Check this out ... Can you believe it?
An indie label in the UK is releasing a single from my last EP (“Workin’ Man). They like “Love That Lady.”.
Best,
James
That's actually MY favorite track on the CD, too! (kk)
Did you notice that 9 of the top 10 songs this week are NOT by a US artists? Yet almost every song in the SECOND 10 (#11-20) IS by a US artist!
The latest Super Hits charts just continue to floor me ... SOOOO many great songs!
Clark Besch
Yep! I'm amazed sometimes to see that so much of this great music was out and available at the same time ... it was just such an incredible, fertile period for music.
And these charts prove once again that the effects of The British Invasion lasted much longer than most people give them credit for.
Although the mass releases by The Beatles had toned down quite a bit by now (America finally having caught up to all of their British releases ... The Fabs were already off filming their second movie and, for the most part, we were only getting "real time" releases these days ... although Capitol still found ways to eek out a few more singles here and there!), there were plenty of others waiting in the wings to fill the void with (as we both pointed out recently) Herman's Hermits leading the pack. Peter Noone and the boys have THREE songs in this week's Top 30! (kk)
Kent,
All this Elvis ... I just had to add more …
I recently finished the book, FROM HERE TO THE GREAT UNKNOWN, by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough. It is an easy read, so it goes quickly.
The book was not completed before Lisa Marie died, but she had already asked her daughter to listen to the tapes and finish/fill in the book to its completion. Riley was surprised to find the gaps at the end of this story and so was obligated to do more fill-in than she first thought. Therefore, the end of the book is more of Riley versus the beginning which is Lisa Marie. However, this works because Riley was not there for her mother's childhood and most certainly was there for her later struggles.
It is amazing how much history was repeated in this family. Children seeing their lives as idyllic and feeling great love from a parent right up to said adults demanding an over-prescribed number of drugs to maintain a sense euphoria while being aware they are addicted and claim they want to stop. There is also a sense of bad body image from multiple generations and an over-dependence between mother/son, father/daughter and mother/son again. The DNA links are strong. The talent is undeniable. The results are tragic with unhappiness abounding in adult life, yet memories of perfect childhood remaining firm. I had no expectations before I read this book and came away with a perspective of "things may not be what they seem."
Shelley
I enjoyed the book (as much as one can enjoy the story of having it all and throwing it all away multiple times) While I don’t recall EVER hearing any of Lisa Marie’s music on the radio, I did seek some out after reading her story. One especially moving track is the manufactured duet she released with her father, “Where No One Stands Alone.” I get choked up every time I hear it. (Sirius/XM’s Elvis channel played it quite a bit after Lisa’s passing)
I am glad to see Elvis’ grand-daughter Riley Keough getting
recognized for some of her work … she seems to be a pretty competent actress … and if you saw the mini-series, “Daisy Jones and the Six,” you witnessed yet
another drug-fueled life story of its central character. Still, I highly recommend watching it … good
acting AND good music. (kk)
Frank B tells us of a new Everly Brothers documentary coming to Netflix on July 18th ... we'll definitely be watching.
The best one I've seen so far is called "Harmonies From Heaven," available on home video here:
The video release also includes a concert the duo did in Sydney Australia in 1968. (kk)
Here's the latest chapter in Andrew of Parlogram's on-going series on The Monkees ...
This time profiling their best album, "Pisces, Capricorn, Aquarius and Jones, Ltd." ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMw2tVOusik
Happy Birthday 🎈🎂!!!! to Kate Pierson of The B-52's on April 27. Also remembering the late Gary Wright born on April 26.
Happy Birthday 🥁!!! 🎈🍰!!! 🥁 to drummer Jim Keltner, who has played on tons of great records. A very cool cat 😎!!!!
Clips of the Week:
Stumbled across this one quite by accident ... but have already watched it several times ... an INCREDIBLE, stripped-down performance of The Bee Gees paying tribute to The Beatles ...
Came across this one while I was working on the calendar
pages and just had to share …
A #4 hit across the boards here in America …
And a #1 smash in Great Britain in early 1965
And these aren’t bad either …
Both submitted by Clark Besch, I've also watched them both numerous times the past few days …
Two of my Brit faves have combined for a new revival of a hit 40 years old now. Mike Batt (Wombles, etc) and Justin Hayward (Moodies) have created a cool straight forward version of the classic Dream Academy hit "Life in a Northern Town." The version is fine, but with the video, it's great! I love this video. Some beautiful artwork. Hard to believe this song is 40 years old. Zooming up the Heritage chart this week to #5 already! More info on the collaboration below. (By the way, the Spin Doctors' new styled "RNR Heaven" I sent in a few weeks ago is up to #2 now.)
In a collaboration between some serious British music heavyweights, the voice of The Moody Blues, Justin Hayward has teamed up with singer-songwriter, producer and conductor Mike Batt to create a brand new digital-only 2-track single. The A-side features a vocal and orchestral rendition of ‘Life In A Northern Town’ – released almost exactly 40 years after the Dream Academy original. Available on March 14th, 2025, through Universal, the single’s B-side is a new live version of The Moody Blues’ ‘Hope and Pray,’ which was recorded in Kent, Ohio, as part of Justin’s recent ‘Blue World’ Tour.
Justin Hayward said, “Mike and I have known each other since we were young. I always loved the atmosphere and mood he created and didn’t hesitate when he asked me to be part of his production of Lewis Carroll’s ‘The Hunting of The Snark’ in 1987. Soon we were putting together the album ‘Classic Blue,’ featuring Mike’s orchestral arrangements of some of our favourite songs. It was the first time since ‘The War Of The Worlds’ that I had enjoyed the responsibility of being the featured voice, as opposed to being the writer, the guitar player and arranger of my own songs - and I loved it. Most of the songs were recorded live, with me in the vocal booth, and Mike conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra playing his gorgeous arrangements. These are the moments we love and live for. The chance to revisit those feelings was an opportunity I wasn’t going to pass up. Last year we fixed a new recording session, again with The LPO and with Haydn Bendall engineering. The first release is ‘Life in a Northern Town,’ a song, and a record that was at the top of both our lists of favourites.”
Mike Batt added, “When the Dream Academy version came out originally, I had floods of phone calls congratulating me on ‘my hit.’ People just thought it sounded like me - vocally and arrangement-wise. Of course, I had nothing to do with it - but loved the record. It has always been one that Justin and I have had on our list: to do “one day.” One day arrived, a few months ago, and we still had it on top of the list, so we did it! Vocally, this single is basically Justin singing the verses and me singing the choruses. It just turned out that way - whereas the original ‘Classic Blue’ project was clearly a Justin solo album with me doing backup vocals. The absence of a rhythm section gives more space for the voice to occupy. It also means the arrangement isn’t obscured, so you can hear the inner orchestral parts. I do think there’s a chemistry we tap into when we work together. I think it’s just because we’ve known each other so long, and we’re musically comfortable together.”
Boy, his voice is perfectly suited for this, isn't it??? (kk)
One more new one … from 10cc!
The duo celebrated the occasion with a live studio performance on BBC Radio 2’s Piano Room. (Published on February 14, 2025)
10cc founding members Graham Gouldman and Kevin Godley have released their first new song in 20 years, “Don’t Want to Go To Heaven.” The track arrived on Thursday, February 13th, just a day ahead of a special Valentines Day re-release of 10cc’s classic “I’m Not In Love,” which turns 50 this year. As part of the celebrations, the duo also came together for a live studio performance on BBC Radio 2’s Piano Room, where they played both “Don’t Want To Go To Heaven” and “I’m Not In Love.” They last worked together on the 1995 album Mirror Mirror — in 2023, Gouldman went on a 16-date tour of the UK.
You can find their new track on YouTube …
10cc - Don't Want To Go To Heaven | Piano Room (2025) 4K
And a reunion tour launching shortly.
Meanwhile, here is their live remake performance of “I’m Not In Love,” a #2 hit from 1975 …
Their voices may be a bit older ... and a bit shakier ... but that's all part of the charm ...
The orchestration on this is nothing short of phenomenal! It's a thrill to watch! (kk)
And lastly, some exciting news from Chuck Buell …
I just finished producing this latest album for "Beautiful Things" Records!
Special Thanx to my "A-One" ( or is it "A-Eye" ) Art Department for the Cover Art!
( I'm still waiting for confirmation about which it is from the Secretary of the US Department of Education. )
Meanwhile, coming soon to a Tower Records Store near You!
A Brief Sneak "Promo Preview" is Attached!
CB ! ! !
60 YEARS AGO TODAY: April 29th, 1965
4/29/65 – Jimmy Nicol, the drummer who filled in for Ringo when The Beatles did their Australian tour last year, filed for bankruptcy today in a London courtroom
